1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a recording medium, and more particularly to a cassette type tape recording and/or reproducing apparatus wherein signals are recorded on and reproduced from a magnetic tape as the recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In cassette type tape recorders, a magnetic tape is transported from a supply reel to a take-up reel in the recording mode or in the reproducing or play back mode. When all of the magnetic tape is wound on the take-up reel, the tape recorder is manually changed to the stop mode, or automatically changed to the stop mode through a detection mechanism which detects the end of the magnetic tape. In some cases, where the apparatus is operating in the play mode and the end of the tape is detected, the tape recorder is changed to the rewind mode to rewind the magnetic tape from the take-up reel to the supply reel, so that the signals on the tape can be automatically repeated.
For convenience, tape recorders have been proposed which are automatically changed to the rewind mode with the detection of the tape end of the magnetic tape. However, in most such tape recorders, a tape end detection mechanism is related to a tape counter, and operating levers are actuated by a system controller and plunger-solenoids in response to detection of the tape end by the tape counter. Of course, to operate properly, the tape counter in such apparatus must be properly preset to detect the tape end in accordance with the length of the magnetic tape. One problem with such devices is, however, that because of the way in which the system controller and plunger-solenoids are arranged, the tape recorder must be very large-sized and costly.